The battleship USS Arizona belches smoke as it topples over into the sea during a Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941. The ship sank with more than 80 percent of its 1,500-man crew, including Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd . The attack, which left 2,343 Americans dead and 916 missing, broke the backbone of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and forced America out of a policy of isolationism. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that it was "a date which will live in infamy" and Congress declared war on Japan the morning after. This was the first attack on American territory since 1812. (AP Photo)

Gallery: Historical Pearl Harbor photos

Dec. 07, 2014 @ 02:40 PM

Pearl Harbor day marks Dec. 7, 1941, when Japanese planes attacked the U.S. Pearl Harbor base in Hawaii. The attack destroyed many airplanes and ships, including the USS West Virginia, which suffered massive damage from torpedoes and bombs. Two officers, including the captain, and 103 crew members died on the USS West Virginia, according to the West Virginia Humanities Council. More than 2,400 people were killed in the attacks, according to the U.S. Navy.